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research scription

K.H. Kok is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Microbiology, The University of Hong Kong. He is interested in the host-pathogen interaction, specifically the host antiviral responses. In 2011, he identified a host antiviral protein that can optimally induce the production of type-I interferon, an indispensable primary antiviral response during early infection. He continues to investigate the molecular mechanism of this host defense signaling pathway in the context of influenza A virus (IAV), herpes simplex virus (HSV), Epstein-barr virus (EBV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection.

research topics

Infectious Diseases
Viruses and Virology
Virulence Genes
Gene regulation
RNA splicing and processing
Interferon
Interferon Antagonists
Cell Host & Microbe, 2011

 

selected Publication

     

    Lee SMY, Kok KH, Jaume M, Cheung TKW, Yip TF, Lai JCC, Guan Y, Webster RG, Jin DY, Peiris JSM. (2014) Toll-like receptor 10 is involved in induction of innate immune responses to influenza virus infection. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 111:3793-8.


    Siu KL, Yeung ML, Kok KH, Yuen KS, Kew C, Lui PY, Chan CP, Tse H, Woo PC, Yuen KY, Jin DY. (2014) Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus 4a protein is a double-stranded RNA-binding protein that suppresses PACT-induced activation of RIG-I and MDA5 in innate antiviral response. J Virol 88:4866-4876.


    Siu KL, Chan CP, Kok KH, Woo PCY, Jin DY. (2014) Suppression of innate antiviral response by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus M protein is mediated through the first transmembrane domain. Cell Mol Immunol 11:141-149.


    Siu KL, Chan CP, Kok KH, Woo PCY, Jin DY. (2014) Comparative analysis of the activation of unfolded protein response by spike proteins of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus and human coronavirus HKU1. Cell Biosci 4:3.


    Kew C, Lui PY, Chan CP, Au WN, Mohr I, Jin DY, Kok KH. (2013) Suppression of PACT-induced type I interferon production by herpes simplex virus type 1 Us11 protein. J Virol 87:13141-13149.


    Lei T, Yuen KS, Xu R, Tsao SW, Chen H, Li M, Kok KH, Jin DY. (2013) Targeting of DICE1 tumor suppressor by Epstein-Barr virus-encoded miR-BART3* microRNA in nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Int J Cancer 133:79-88.


    Lei T, Yuen KS, Tsao SW, Chen H, Kok KH, Jin DY. (2013) Perturbation of biogenesis and targeting of Epstein-Barr virus-encoded miR-BART3 microRNA by adenosine-to-inosine editing. J Gen Virol 12:2739-2744.


    Chan CP, Siu YT, Kok KH, Ching YP, Tang HMV, Jin DY. (2013) Group I p21-activated kinases facilitate Tax-mediated transcriptional activation of the human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 long terminal repeats. Retrovirology 10:47.


    Kok KH, Jin DY. (2013) Balance of power in host-virus arms races. Cell Host Microbe 14:5-6.


    Kok KH, Lui PY, Ng MHJ, Siu KL, Au SWN, Jin DY. (2011) The double-stranded RNA-binding protein PACT functions as a cellular activator of RIG-I to facilitate innate antiviral response. Cell Host Microbe 9:299-309.


    Kok KH, Lei T, Jin DY. (2010) Identification and validation of the cellular targets of virus-encoded microRNAs. Methods Mol Biol 667:319-326.


    Kok KH, Lei T, Jin DY. (2009) siRNA and shRNA screens advance key understanding of host factors required for HIV-1 replication. Retrovirology 6:78.


    Kok KH, Ng MHJ, Ching YP, Jin DY. (2007) Human TRBP and PACT directly interact with each other and associate with dicer to facilitate the production of small interfering RNA. J Biol Chem 282:17649-17657.


    Editorship:
    Academic Editor, PLoS ONE (2010 - present)